1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to vehicle axles and more particularly to twist beam rear axle assemblies for vehicles. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing vehicle axles and more particularly to a method of manufacturing twist beam rear axles assemblies for vehicles.
2. Related Art
A twist beam rear axle suspension assembly, also known as a torsion beam axle, is a type of automobile suspension including a pair of trailing arms, each coupled with a wheel of a vehicle, and a twist beam extending transversely between the trailing arms. During operation of the vehicle, the twist beam deforms in a twisting movement when one of the wheels moves relative to another, for example during roll of the vehicle or when one of the vehicle's wheels encounters, for example, a pothole in the road. The twisting movement of the twist beam absorbs the movement.
Generally, such twist beams are welded directly to each of the trailing arms along multiple areas of the twist beam. For example, when a U-shaped twist beam is interconnected to the trailing arm, a weld is often used to secure the twist beam directly to the trailing arm assembly along a top wall, side walls, and/or a bottom wall of the twist beam. If an O-shaped or C-shaped twist beam is interconnected to the trailing arm, a weld is used to directly secure the twist beam to the trailing arm along a circumference of the twist beam. However, manufacturing variations in the twist beam and/or the trailing arms can lead to challenges and problems when fitting these components together in preparation for the welding operation. In addition, these manufacturing variations can result in an unsatisfactory welded joint between the twist beam and the trailing arms, leading to fatigue and cracking of the welded joint between the twist beam and trailing arms after manufacture and assembly of the twist beam axle assembly.